𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐘𝐍 ⦊ 𝘩. 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 ✓ {editing}

― vii. kiss me wild

Hermione burst into laughter and the corners of Ginny's mouth twitched as she watched Edelyn dramatically wave her hands in the air like a conductor and sing the old poem with taunting passion.

"I hate you," the ginger grumbled as she folded her arms.

"Just pulling your leg," said Edelyn, leaping up off the bed and giving Ginny a one-armed hug. "Somewhere down there in that common room is a person who's going to notice how smoking dishy you look tonight, muster up the courage to talk to you, realize that your beauty is only a fraction of your amazingness, and then crash head-over-heels."

"You think?"

"You're fierce, independent, lively, and you know how to throw a nasty hex. Who wouldn't be absolutely enamoured with you? You're bloody brilliant."

Ginny frowned. "Well, someone clearly doesn't think so..."

"Harry's just stupid," chimed in Hermione as she slipped on her flats. Then, shifting her gaze from Ginny to Edelyn, added, "He wouldn't even notice if the girl who was best suited for him stood right in front of him."

Edelyn averted her eyes from the odd stare Hermione was sending her and gave Ginny a pat on the shoulder. "Go get 'em, lioness."

And got them she did, for twenty minutes later, Edelyn and Hermione were both beaming as they watched Ginny converse happily with Michael Corner. Their attention was soon pulled away, however, as Harry and Ron approached them. "What's Gin doing with him?" grumbled the latter, eyes narrowed fiercely at the fifth-year Ravenclaw.

Edelyn folded her arms and shot Ron a reproachful look. "Don't you dare go ruining this for her, Ron. Just let her have some fun tonight. You can be an overprotective prick another day."

"But—"

"No 'but's, or I'll be hexing your butt to next year." 

Ron opened his mouth, closed it, and then snatched Edelyn's butterbeer from her hands and took a rather large swig; Hermione rolled her eyes. 

Harry, who had just finished his own bottle of butterbeer, gave Edelyn a small smile and stammered, "I — er — like your outfit. It's neat." He coughed to clear the imaginary frog in his throat. "You look pretty in it — pretty nice, I mean."

A small blush crept into Edelyn's cheeks. "Thanks."

Harry raked his fingers sheepishly through his messy black hair. "Quite the thrash," he remarked, nodding toward the centre of the common room wherein many students were now clumsily gyrating and swaying their hips to the music that was roaring from a radio atop a mantlepiece.

"Well, no Umbridge for three weeks...That's definitely a cause for celebration."

Harry snorted and was drumming his fingers against his bottle of butterbeer when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, his stomach lurched as he came face-to-face with Cho Chang.

"Cho!" His face burned. "Fancy seeing you — erm — here." 

Cho beamed. "I was wondering if you'd like to dance?" she said sweetly. 

Harry's lips parted. He stared, eyes wide. Ron coughed and nudged him. He stumbled forward and swallowed nervously, fingers combing through his hair. "Y-yeah. I'd — I'd love to." 

Edelyn watched as Cho took Harry's hand and led him to the dancefloor. She frowned, then snatched a bottle of firewhiskey from a nearby table and downed a large gulp, hoping it would wash away the unpleasant sensation twisting inside. 

The liquid burned as it trickled down her throat, but the unpleasant feeling remained, and so she took another swig, earning her an impressed thumbs up from Ron and a concerned look from Hermione.